SAS Australia is back for another jaw-stropping season starting 7.30pm Monday, 21 February on Channel Seven and 7plus.
17 Aussie celebrities will put their privileged lives behind them and embark on one of the toughest tests of their lives.
Under the direction of Chief Instructor Ant Middleton, returning DS (Directing Staff) Ollie Ollerton and the new DS members, retired US Navy SEAL Clint Emerson and former British Special Forces soldier Dean Stott, the recruits will be pushed beyond their limits over 14 days.
See more: SAS Australia 2022: Everything you need to know
See more: SAS Australia 2022: Everything you need to know about the cast
Taking the recruits through the SAS Australia course in 2022 are the DS (Directing Staff):
Ant Middleton – Chief Instructor
What can we expect from this season?
“With each season I try to switch things up; that way, the participants will never know what they are coming into. This isn’t some yoga retreat where you go find yourself. It’s going to be a harsh, brutal lesson from day one.”
What would you say is the toughest part of this course?
“With each season, we get really creative in focussing and exacerbating common and collective fears. We design tasks to force people to overcome these fears and to manage their emotions in extreme circumstances. It’s when you are faced with situations like this, when you’re pushed to your limit, that you not only see what you are capable of, but who you really are when you strip.”
What’s the impact of more water-based tasks this season?
Water is a fear that many people experience. This might be associated with the shock of cold water immersion, the fear of drowning or the sheer power of the sea. Incorporating water into our tasks is an effective tool to face these fears and learn to manage our response.
What’s the most satisfying/rewarding part of this process for you as Chief Instructor?
“Seeing the journey that the recruits go on. Even if they don’t make it to the end, each and every person gets something out of it.”
Ant Middleton
Ollie Ollerton – DS
What can we expect from this season?
“This is psychological warfare from the DS and also self-created by the recruits. This season is brutal from the ground up. The recruits’ accommodation is grim, the tasks are incredibly challenging and the finale is epic.”
What do the two new DS bring to this course?
“I’d never met Clint but as a Tier 1 Operator you know exactly what you’re getting – an incredible soldier who knows how to challenge recruits both psychologically and physically. His selection process is not the same as the UK and this brings even more to the mix. Oh and of course his demonic charm and Hollywood accent! I knew Dean outside of the military but did not serve with him. He brings another layer of Special Forces experience and his super tight tops that look like he’s been poured into, haha!”
How do you keep upping the ante?
“No one can assume this course. The hidden demons are the sleep deprivation, the hunger, the mental and physical fatigue and the constant anxiety of losing control. This creates a mindset you can never prepare for.”
Ollie Ollerton
Clint Emerson – DS
Clint Emerson is a retired Navy SEAL with 20 years of service with the Special Operations community. He served as a SEAL operator at SEAL Team Three, the NSA and SEAL Team Six. He is the founder of Escape the Wolf, which focuses on crisis management for global companies both large and small. He is also the bestselling author of the 100 Deadly Skills series.
What do you bring to this season of SAS Australia?
“Other than a Texas accent? Twenty years of one-liners that insult, humour and thought-provoke recruits. Also 20 years of special operations experience and knowledge.”
Please talk us through some of the new tasks designed around your military training and experience?
“The Beehive exemplifies the saying “panic is contagious”. It is used in the first couple of weeks of SEAL training to determine who is comfortable in the water and more importantly, who is not. Putting people together in a confined water environment immediately induces panic and the panic eventually becomes life threatening for everyone. We have another task called Escape the Trunk. Being abducted is a real threat to humanitarian workers, embassy employees, military and tourists alike. Knowing how to escape from these scenarios are skills required by active duty deploying Special Operators.”
What advice would you give to recruits ahead of this selection course?
“Have someone kick you in the nuts/vagina three times a day for 14 days while you’re cold, wet, and sandy – and maybe, just maybe, you will make it to the end of the season.”
Clint Emerson
Dean Stott – DS
Dean Stott is a former Tier 1 Special Forces Operator, serving with the UK Special Boat Service (SBS). His military career was ended by a parachuting accident in 2011. He quickly transitioned to the private security sector, where he carved out a reputation for being willing to take on any job, no matter how dangerous. The man who went where others won’t, when others won’t. He has since become a double world record- breaking adventurer, while establishing a successful career as a motivational speaker and TV personality. Stott is a dedicated philanthropist and has raised millions for various causes over the years.
What do you bring to this season of SAS Australia?
“After 16 years in the military, I forged out a highly respected career in the private security sector and became a double world record breaker. I have learned the right and wrongs of the military world, business world and world of adventure, all in their true authentic selves. I bring all this with me to SAS Australia.”
What can we expect from this season?
“This course is unique to previous seasons in that the tempo has stepped up another level, pushing recruits to both their physical and mental limits. The toughest element of this course is staying focussed and switched on for the full duration. There’s no room for complacency.”
What do recruits have to do to stay on your good side?
“Listen to what is being told to you, retain the information, and execute the mission. I always expect 100% from all students, anything less is not enough. I don’t like to hear people moaning and complaining. Try not to bring attention to yourself, just get on with the task. There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Stay on the right side of that line.”
Dean Stott